GSK announces Hamilton jobs grant

The City of Hamilton has received a $240,000 grant from the Big Sky Economic Trust Fund (BSTF) Program to assist GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) with the purchase of equipment and is contingent upon hiring of up to 32 employees through July 2013. The majority of new hires will be scientifically based positions working primarily in the manufacturing center of the Hamilton facility.

The BSTF program is a Montana Department of Commerce funded program designed to aid in the development of good paying jobs for Montana residents to promote long-term stable economic growth in Montana. In order to qualify as a recipient of BSTF financial assistance, businesses must create net new eligible jobs that pay at least the average county wage. The new hires that will take place at GSK Biologicals are a welcome boost in job growth for Ravalli County where unemployment hovers near 10%.

The grant funds will flow through the City of Hamilton. The City worked with the grant writing team of Ravalli County Economic Development Authority (RCEDA) and GSK to meet the requirements of the application.

All new job openings will be posted on the GSK web site. Interested job seekers can apply on-line at http://us.gsk.com/html/career/jobsearch.html. Search for all jobs listed under “Montana” under the “State/Region” drop down menu. Wages and benefits at the Hamilton site are well above those required for acceptance for this type of grant. The University of Montana and Bitterroot Job Service held career fairs for GSK this summer to initiate the hiring process and will continue to provide support as full-time regular positions become available.

The Montana Department of Commerce as well as the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration has a long history of supporting one of Montana’s top pharmaceutical companies. Retaining GSK Biologicals, an employer of over 200 people in Montana, continues to be a collaboration of state, federal, local government and this community.